Car insurance quotes for female drivers have risen by 15 per cent over the past six weeks, ahead of the new European gender-neutral rules which come into force on Friday.
The average quote for women is now £862 -- up from £748 just six weeks ago, price comparison site Gocompare.com has found.
This is despite the fact that the new EU directive does not officially become law until 21 December. Under the new legislation, it will be illegal for car insurers to use gender as a factor when calculating car insurance premiums.
Younger female drivers are expected to be hit hardest. The average price for women aged between 17 and 18 is now £2,191 -- a £281 increase since the beginning of November.
The site has made these findings from analysing more than 10 million car insurance quotes since the beginning of 2011, including both comprehensive and third party policies for women of all ages.
The site claims that the EU ruling has caused the biggest shift in premiums in the firm's history.
Gocompare has also seen a drop in the number of insurers willing to give quotes to younger drivers. 17-year-olds looking to obtain cover now receive an average of 32 quotes -- 3 fewer than they would have been given at the beginning of November.
Premiums for women drivers are expected to rise further when the new law comes in on Friday. So if you're a woman and you're looking for cheap car insurance, our advice is to act fast.
